Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 109 You gave birth to a daughter, what do you have to compete with me on?

In that slightly dilapidated rented room, the mottled walls appeared even darker under the dim yellow light, and the cramped space was filled with clutter, barely allowing one person to pass through.

Jiang He dragged her heavy body, pacing laboriously in the cramped space. Her due date was fast approaching, and every fetal movement seemed to remind her that this new life was about to arrive.

Looking around, the place was deserted and cold, which filled Jiang He, who was about to give birth, with anxiety and helplessness.

Finally, Jiang He could no longer hold back. She picked up the worn-out telephone and, with trembling fingers, dialed the number for the Lin family.

The dial tone on the other end of the phone seemed to strike her heart.

After a long while, the call connected, and Lin's mother's familiar voice came through: "Hello, who is it?"

Jiang He took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady: "Mom, it's me, Jiang He. I'm about to give birth. Can you come and take care of me?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lin's mother said indifferently, "Isn't having a child a woman's own business? You can decide for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Jiang He's eyes instantly reddened, and she said in a tearful voice, "Mom, how can I manage alone? Lin Yanqing isn't home, I really have no other choice. If you don't come, I'll make sure you never see your grandson again!"

Upon hearing this, there was a clear reaction on the other end of the phone. Lin's mother said somewhat angrily, "What are you saying? Are you threatening us? Fine, we'll come over tomorrow."

The next day, the sky was overcast, as if it might burst into tears at any moment.

Lin's parents arrived at Jiang He's rented room with reluctant expressions.

Seeing Jiang He, heavily pregnant, bustling around, Lin's mother couldn't help but complain, "Why is this room so messy? Don't you know how to tidy it up?"

Jiang He lowered her head and said softly, "Mom, my belly is so big, it's hard for me to move around."

Lin's father stood silently to the side, found a stool and sat down, his brows furrowed, looking around with disdain.

In the days that followed, although Lin's parents stayed with Jiang He, they were always impatient.

Lin's mother also cooked perfunctorily, serving simple vegetables and radishes for every meal, while muttering, "I wonder what kind of thing will be born, it's worth all this trouble."

Jiang He heard this and felt a pang of pain in her heart, but thinking of her unborn child, she could only silently endure it.

She dragged her heavy body and tried to help with some housework, but was always criticized by Lin's mother for being too slow.

Finally, on a stormy night, large raindrops pounded against the window, making a pattering sound.

Jiang He's water suddenly broke, and she screamed in terror. Her parents, awakened by the shock, rushed her to the hospital.

Along the way, the wind howled and rain poured into the car, but no one cared about any of that.

Outside the delivery room, Mr. and Mrs. Lin waited anxiously. Mrs. Lin kept muttering, "It must be a big, fat grandson. The Lin family is counting on this baby."

Time passed second by second, each second feeling incredibly long, and every sound coming from the delivery room tugged at their hearts.

With a loud cry, the baby was finally born. The nurse carried the baby out of the delivery room, smiling and saying, "Congratulations, it's a girl, mother and daughter are both safe."

The expectant smiles on Lin's parents' faces instantly froze, replaced by disappointment. Lin's mother couldn't help but curse, "What a waste of money! What good is a girl!" Jiang He was wheeled out of the delivery room, looking weakly at Lin's parents. Hearing their curses, tears streamed down her face.

Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word; a flood of grievances and pain overwhelmed her. Back at the rented apartment, her parents' attitude worsened.

Looking at the weak Jiang He lying on the bed and the sleeping baby girl beside her, Lin's mother said disdainfully, "Having a daughter means having to pay for her dowry later. What bad luck."

Jiang He cried and said, "Mom, I am also a member of the Lin family! How can you say such things?"

Lin's father, with a gloomy face, said, "Stop crying here. If you hadn't threatened us, we wouldn't be serving you, the one who can't give birth to a son."

In the hospital corridor, which was filled with the smell of disinfectant, the lights were dim and yellow.

Jiang He gave birth to her daughter after a difficult delivery in the delivery room, and at that moment, Lin Yanqing and Lin Yao, who had just heard the news, rushed over.

Lin Yanqing walked hurriedly, his face showing some anxiety, while Lin Yao followed closely behind, her eyes hiding a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

When they arrived outside the delivery room and learned from the nurse that Jiang Hesheng had given birth to a daughter, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

A smug glint flashed in Lin Yao's eyes, and a slight upturn of her lips as she looked at the weak Jiang He in the delivery room, her heart filled with contempt. In her eyes, Jiang He was nothing more than a woman who couldn't bear a son, and now that she had lost Lin Yanqing's love, she had no right to compete with her.

Lin Yanqing's expression also became subtle. His tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, as if a stone that had been pressing on his heart had been lifted.

His feelings for Jiang He had long since faded with time, and now that he heard that she had given birth to a daughter, he seemed to feel even more relieved.

Lin Yao walked into the ward, looked at Jiang He lying on the hospital bed, and deliberately raised her voice, saying, "Oh, Jiang He, you're really something, giving birth to a girl. She probably won't have much status in the Lin family from now on."

Jiang He weakly opened her eyes, looking at the two people in front of her, a sharp pain shooting through her heart. Her lips trembled, but she was powerless to refute them. Lin Yanqing stood to the side, silent, his eyes coldly watching Jiang He and the child.

Looking at the man she once loved so deeply, who now seemed so unfamiliar, Jiang He couldn't help but burst into tears.

She couldn't understand why their vows of eternal love became so fragile in the face of the child's gender.

Lin Yao continued to mock, "You, without Yan Qing's love and unable to bear a son, what can you use to compete with me? Be smart and leave the Lin family quickly, don't embarrass yourself here."

Jiang He was filled with grief and indignation. She hugged her daughter tightly, as if she were her only support. She spoke with difficulty, "My daughter is my precious child. I will not let anyone hurt her. As for you, I disdain to compete with you."

Lin Yao was enraged by Jiang He's words and was about to continue her outburst when Lin Yanqing stopped her.

Lin Yanqing said calmly, "Alright, stop making a scene here."

Then he looked at Jiang He and said coldly, "Since you've given birth, take good care of the child and don't cause any more trouble."

After saying that, she pulled Lin Yao away from the ward. Jiang He watched their departing figures, tears soaking her pillow.

She knew her life would be turned upside down, but for her daughter's sake, she had to be strong.

She secretly vowed to do her best to make her daughter happy and never let her suffer any more harm.

In this cold and indifferent hospital ward, Jiang He hugged her daughter tightly, and a firm strength ignited in her heart.